The present invention relates to photographic apparatus in general, and more particularly to still cameras. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in still cameras (e.g., in miniature still cameras capable of being stored in a pocket or purse) which can be used for the making of exposures in daylight as well as with artificial illumination of the subject or scene.
The commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,705 to Winkler discloses a still camera wherein the housing comprises a first section or body which contains the picture taking lens, the shutter, the camera release, the viewfinder and a socket for attachment of sources of artificial illumination of the subject, and a second section or cover which conceals the lens and the viewfinder objective when it assumes a predetermined end position (called first or closing position) with respect to the body. When the cover is not locked in closing position, it is propelled or pulled to a second or extended position in which the camera is ready to make an exposure. The movement of the cover from extended position to the closing position and back to extended position results in automatic cocking of the shutter, in the transport of film by the length of a frame and in indexing of the socket if the latter is of the type which can receive the foot of a multiple flash lamp holder known as flashcube or magicube.
A drawback of miniature still cameras of the just outlined character is that, when the housing contains color film and exposure is to be made with artificial illumination of the subject or scene, the exposed color film frames exhibit so-called "red eyes" which develop due to the fact that the source of light is too close to the picture taking lens. The distance between the socket and the picture taking lens cannot be increased at will because the first section or body of the camera housing is very small; in fact, an important feature of such cameras is that the housing is sufficiently compact to be readily insertable into a small pocket or to occupy a minimum amount of space in a purse when the cover is moved to its closing position.
In an attempt to avoid the formation of red eyes, the manufacturers of miniature still cameras having expansible housings furnish each camera with a so-called extender which is an elongated attachment having a foot at one end and a recess at the other end. The foot is identical with that on the base of a flashcube or magicube so that it can enter the recess of the socket in the body of the still camera, and the recess of the extender is similar to the recess of the socket so that it can receive the foot of a flashcube or magicube. Thus, when the extender is attached to and is indexible by the socket, and when the extender supports a multiple flash lamp holder, the flash lamps are sufficiently remote from the picture taking lens to avoid the development of red eyes on color film frames. However, the extender exhibits a number of drawbacks. Thus, it contributes to the cost of the camera, it projects from the upper side of the body of the camera housing to affect the appearance of the camera and to prevent the insertion of the camera into a rather narrow passage or slot during picture taking, it must be removed whenever the camera is to be stored, and it is likely to be misplaced or lost to thus prevent the making of satisfactory exposures of color film with artificial illumination of the subject or scene.